Meet These Pro Triathlete’s Training Partner Dogs — Triathlete

It’s no secret that top pros have a small army of support staff who help get them to every start line – from coaches to physical therapists, nutritionists to sports psychologists. But have you ever wondered about the canine companions who provide the unconditional love and much-needed recovery snuggles to some of the sport’s top pros?

Let’s meet the four-legged friends who give love, licks, and support – irrespective of whether it’s podium-and-pay-check day or DNF and despair.

Lucy Charles-Barclay with Lolo and Pickle

Those who’ve been around triathlon know that Lucy Charles-Barclay famously said that if she podiumed at the Ironman World Championship in 2019 she would treat herself with a dog. Her second-place finish that year meant Lola, a miniature jack russell, became a key part of Team Charles-Barclay. A few years later, Pickle, a miniature pinscher, now three, also joined the pack. Now she says that, although she likes to think her and husband Reece are in charge of the household, “if we don’t stick to their schedule, they make sure we know about it.”

Lola and Pickle – who also go by Fish Pig, Feral, or Princess (Lola) and Pickly Pops and Pickle the Tiny Deer – run the show in more ways than one. They’ve been known to make the Charles-Barclays late to early-morning swim practice (because they protest if they’re not fed, even at 5 a.m.) and Lola always wants her tennis ball to be thrown, even if mom is holding a plank during her core stability sessions.

There are decals of them on Charles-Barclay’s bikes and gear, and her dogs join her for plenty of sessions – whether it’s indoors in her pain cave (where they sit and watch) or outdoors on forest runs, where Charles-Barclay tells Triathlete: “Lola goes full feral mode chasing squirrels and then comes back to check in. Pickle is happy to be there and just loves to run!”

There is one place where they don’t enjoy all-access and that’s in the bedroom. “If they sleep in our bed, we usually regret it,” Charles-Barclay says, adding that her Whoop score typically drops if they do. “They usually sleep downstairs. They share a big bed together, which is very cute.”

Charles-Barclay is quick to recognize the love and balance her dogs bring to her life, saying: “There’s nothing better than coming home to them. They don’t care if you nailed it or had a nightmare session. Injured, bad day, won the race, or blew up, it makes no difference. They just want cuddles and feeding.”

And she says that the daily family dog walk is her and her husband’s favorite part of the day: “It forces us to switch off from the mad world of triathlon for a little while, and makes it all about the dogs. They bring a lot of balance and happiness. No bad day – of training or racing – ever stays bad when I can go home to my dogs. They’re endlessly entertaining and give so much love. Who knows, if I keep performing well I may earn some more dogs!”

Patrick Lange and Rudi 

It’s a similar story for three-time Ironman world champion Patrick Lange and his wirehaired dachshund Rudi, a small dog who’s made a big impact in the few months since he joined the family. The seven-month-old puppy is “very supportive” of Lange’s training, often “supervising” him on the trainer but sometimes taking a nap too. He’s then quick to join Lange and his wife Julia for evening snuggles and chill time.

“Rudi is super open and loves people,” Lange tells Triathlete. “He is very outgoing and good at snuggling. He is also a pet toy killer – nothing lasts longer than two hours!”

As a puppy growing up in a triathlete household, it’s perhaps not unsurprising that he’s already developed some “on-brand” triathlete habits. His favorite treat is salmon and, according to Lange, he prepares for 40 minutes to create chaos for six minutes and then naps for two hours. “I think Rudi is more of an ITU-style racer at the moment, but I’m planning to teach him how to go long.”

And like Charles-Barclay, little Rudi helps keep things in perspective: “It doesn’t matter to him if I’ve had a tough workout or not; he still insists on his walkie. He shows me every day that the small details matter most.”

As Rudi only joined the family in September 2025, Lange hasn’t acted as a dog dad at any races, but he can’t wait for the summer to arrive and for that to change. And that might also give him some time to get his sleep dialed in: “At the moment he is definitely hindering my recovery,” Lange says. “He’s sleeping in a box next to our bed.”

Lange says it’s hard to pick his favorite thing about Rudi, but it might be his smell: “It’s home for me.”

He adds: “Coming home to him is the best, he’s so energetic and happy. I love it!”

Amélie Kretz and Brioche

Two-time Canadian Olympian Amélie Kretz has endured some difficult years recently with four major stress fractures in 2023 and 2024 – and she credits her dog Brioche for helping her get through a testing time.

“I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through all the weeks on crutches, rehab, and the back-to-fitness grind without her,” Kretz tells Triathlete. “She always found a way to keep me happy through it all and gave a purpose to my day and routine when I couldn’t train or could barely get off the couch.”

The four-year-old Australian mountain doodle (Bernese mountain dog x Australian shepherd x poodle) is bilingual (like her Mom, a French-Canadian), so naturally has nicknames in both French and English: Bri Bri and Croquette – which is French for nugget.

Although she loves to snuggle with her paw-rent, she also gets actively involved in sessions, often joining easy runs. Treadmill sessions are always a hard pass: “She hates the treadmill, and won’t stay in the same room if I am on it.”

And it’s a similar story with the trainer. “She hates when I ride the trainer, she gives me the side eye the whole time. She recognizes the sound my computer makes when I stop and save a session and she gets very excited and brings me a toy.”

It’s in the gym where Brioche comes into her own, joining Kretz for sessions with her strength coach: “She plays fetch while I lift, she gets treats and sees some of her favorite people at the gym.”

And while some athletes acknowledge that their sleep might suffer when they share a bed with their dog, for Kretz, it’s quite the opposite: “She sleeps in my bed, or is it me sleeping in her bed? I actually don’t sleep as well when she isn’t with me. Having her there helps me sleep better, except when she kicks me while she’s dreaming.”

A quick FaceTime call with Brioche is always part of Kretz’s pre-race ritual – “seeing her face makes me happy!” she says – and she’s hoping to bring her to 70.3 Mont-Tremblant, her home race later this year.

So how has being a dog mom helped shape Kretz as an athlete? “Dogs are a great example of how consistency matters and how important it is to keep showing up. They need structure, exercise, and routine every day, no matter what. It’s exactly the same with being an athlete; consistency is the key to success.”

Lisa Becharas and Gianna

There aren’t many athletes in the sport of triathlon with personalities as big and bubbly as Lisa Becharas, but she says her dog Gianna gives her a run for her money. The two-year-old mixed breed dog, who’s 25% border collie, 15% pitbull, and a lot of “Supermutt,” is, according to Becharas, the “queen of the house.”

“We both have pretty big personalities, but Gianna takes the cake as she’s usually a bit more expressive,” Becharas tells Triathlete.

However, she’s still earning her stripes when it comes to being the best training partner. “Gianna hasn’t been the best training partner I’ve had,” she says. “She’s a pace pusher on the run and gets easily distracted trying to catch up with friends – you know, squirrels, birds, blades of grass.”

But when it comes to the welcome home routine, she’s got that dialed: “There is nothing better than coming home to Gianna after a tough session!” Becharas says. “She is there wiggling her little booty, ready to lick off all your sweat and give you the biggest cuddle because she’s so stoked to have you home!”

Gianna can also distinguish between easy training days and taper time: “She knows when easy training days are here because that means more ball time and couch cuddling time, but she is not a fan of taper time because that usually means I’m frantically tearing the house apart trying to pack for travel!”

And whether those race days come with success or not, Becharas knows that “Gianna doesn’t care and she will love me the same no matter what.”

She adds: “Having Gianna has made me a better athlete because not only do I get out for some more recovery walks, but she also just helps to destress me in stressful times. I love how much she loves me and my husband. She’s part of the pack and wants to be around us.”

Matt Sharpe, Kirsten Kasper, and Reggie 

American Olympian Kirsten Kasper and her husband, recently retired Canadian Olympian Matt Sharpe, are the proud parents of five-year-old yellow Labrador Reggie, known to his friends as Monkey Man, Devil Dog, and Sir Reginald.

It’s no secret that he runs their household – Kasper and Sharpe simply pay the mortgage, they say – and Reggie always likes to do things his way: “He’ll put the brakes on when we try to take him somewhere he doesn’t want to go,” Sharpe tells Triathlete.

Reggie, who is originally from Vancouver Island, isn’t a fan of joining his mom and dad for training sessions, but they say he does love ball chase intervals at the park and always positive-splits his workouts.

And while he loves a good hike, he’s not one for running, but loves to recover hard on the couch. When it comes to trainer sessions, he doesn’t object too much. “He settles in knowing nothing will be happening here for a few hours!” Sharpe adds.